A few hard minutes might go further than a longer, easier workout, according to a recent study.
The study, published in late March in the European Heart Journal, found that people who get just a few minutes of vigorous activity each day were less likely to develop eight major diseases. The conditions included arthritis, heart disease, dementia, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, respiratory diseases, and liver and kidney disease.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 96,000 people, comparing overall activity levels, time spent doing vigorous activity and disease risk.
According to the findings, people who did the most vigorous activity had a 63 percent lower risk of developing dementia, a 60 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 46 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, compared with people who did none.
Even 15 to 20 minutes a week of vigorous activity, just a few minutes a day, was linked to meaningful health benefits, the authors said.
The authors said short bursts of intense activity can include running for the bus, taking the stairs quickly, walking fast between errands or playing actively with children.
In a news release, Minxue Shen, one of the researchers and a professor at the Xiangya School of Public Health at Central South University in China, said vigorous activity appears to trigger responses in the body that lower-intensity activity does not.
“During vigorous physical activity – the kind that makes you feel out of breath – your body responds in powerful ways. Your heart pumps more efficiently, your blood vessels become more flexible, and your body improves its ability to use oxygen.”
Shen said vigorous activity also appears to reduce inflammation.
“This may help explain why we saw strong associations with inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and arthritis. It may also stimulate chemicals in the brain that help keep brain cells healthy, which could help explain the lower risk of dementia,” the researcher added.
Shen said this kind of exercise may not be safe for everyone, including some older adults.
“For them, any increase in movement is still beneficial, and activity should be tailored to the individual,” Shen said.
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